


Winter Holidays

by AkiOnTheMoon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, New Year's Eve, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Break Up, Slice of Life, Temari-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29338938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiOnTheMoon/pseuds/AkiOnTheMoon
Summary: "When did you pick up the habit?"Temari looked down at the cigarette between her fingers as she was leaning against the railing. Yeah, when did she start smoking? Probably the moment she left him standing in the middle of his apartment without looking back, tears running down her face. She vaguely remembered the emotional distress and the chaos in her head. She doesn't know when she bought her first pack, it just randomly found its way into her life as a mean of calming herself. The first brand she bought were Shikamaru's favorite cigarettes. Heavy and suffocating. The smoke used to envelop her in a bubble and she pretended his hands were around her once again. She smoked to remember him. After a little while, she pretended to smoke to pass time."Don't really remember.""Aka Temari spends the last days of year with her friends in her cottage in the mountains, but nothing is the same anymore and they all start wondering if they can still become the people they once used to be.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Nara Shikamaru/Yamanaka Ino
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Days were rather short now. A lot of tasks had to be done, but so little time was offered to manage it all. Furniture, being already polished two times, was glittering. Curtains, washed and ironed, decorated the simple wooden windows that offered a picturesque sight of the snowy country outside - white, tall hills could be seen along with a frozen lake somewhere in distance. The floor was spotless, maybe except for the wet traces of snow that found their way inside and melted easily, just like an icecream during the hottest days of summer. A cracking could be heard - it wasn't loud, but in that large space with barely no one inside, it was definitely similar to an explosion. The fire was kept tirelessly alive in order to bring warmth into the lonely rooms where the newcomers would soon lie.

With nothing left to do, the host lied down, reading a book, when the long-awaited and rather eager knocking finally came. With a tired sight - because she knew how exhausting these days spent together could get - but a wide smile on her face nevertheless - because she just loved these dorks - she hurried to the door. She reached out, pushed down the handle and as soon as the white snow and bright light blinded her, her arms were full and happy faces enclosed her immediately.

"Temari!"

She could feel the cute bundle of pink sooner than she could see or even hear her, but that didn't matter, because the hug she received was warm and huge and hearty and Temari felt happier than she felt in ages, because her best friends were finally here. Yet, she weakly noted, it would be nice to breathe again.

"Sakura, I love to see you too." She greeted her, using the last of her strength - damn her lungs were getting crushed. Luckily for her, a savior was just a step away (or so she thought).

"Hey, billboard brow, let her breathe, will you?" Ino stepped inside, her beautiful straight hair full of snowflakes and - why was there a de vilishglint in her eyes? Damn.

If Temari thought Ino would save her, she must have been really naive, proving that a long time passed since they saw each other. Following Sakura's example, Ino joined the hug. Yeah, she wasn't breathing anytime soon.

"Shut up, Ino pig! Hinata, come join us!" Dammit, Sakura was going to tear her ear off. Though, as Temari later thought, maybe she could be forgiven, because when the small girl with dark long hair framing her face came closer and joined their intimate moment - gentle and shy, like an angel, Temari couldn't be happier.

But of course, the personification of avalanche had to ruin the moment.

"No hugging without me!"

She could barely register the bright blonde hair of Naruto before he jumped and literally crashed into them. They tipped, and with a moment of silent panic, they thought they could withstand it, before Temari completely lost her footing. They smacked to the floor, becoming a mess all over, but as they were groaning in pain because _fuck my head_ and _Naruto, I will kill you!_ they couldn't help but look at each other and have a good laugh, remembering the old days when they were such a chaos all the time.

Sasuke, another one of her old fellows, chuckled at their silliness and even though his cold dark eyes stayed unfazed, Temari knew him well enough to notice the soft features of his face. He came closer and helped Sakura stand up, as she was his longtime girlfriend, and even if their relationship had ups and downs, Temari was sure they were two sides of the same coin. Next to her, Naruto helped Hinata stand up, showing his less silly and more affectionate side with his wife.

While she listened to Ino cry about her hurt bum, the light seeping from outside suddenly disappeared and a shadow engulfed her. The figure standing between the doorframe was tall and broad and as Temari's eyes met his, she immediately noticed that the spark she loved so much was gone. Now, those orbs just stared at her, but she was sure they pretended to not see at all. And when the figure stepped inside, Temari felt a chill - the kind of icy prickles, stinging her deep under her skin, deep inside near the place where her heart still pretended to exist.

And when he walked straight to Ino, Temari pretended not to stare, not to feel and not to remember.

"Thank you, Shikamaru! You're always here when I need to be saved!"

That was the name she knew she'd never forget. There was no tattoo on her skin, but Temari knew that these nine letters were forced into her bones and her very soul alike. She was sure of it, because she could feel the wound every time her mind wandered to the past.

Clearing her throat, she officially welcomed them in her cottage.

"So guys, welcome here! It's been years since we've been all together, so let's enjoy these few days. I've already prepared your rooms and divided us per usual..." She would have continued if it wasn't for Ino interrupting her.

"Actually," Ino said, her voice squeaky and her eyes shiny when she looked at Shikamaru who was still uninterested, "there will be a change this year. We have a surprise for you guys!" If Temari knew what was coming, she would have bought more wine. 

"We're expecting a child!"

The silence that followed could be literally cut. Yeah, she definitely needed more wine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for giving my story a read! I hope you enjoyed it and it would be great if you left behind a comment so I could improve myself in future!


	2. Chapter 2

"Ino, don't be such a drama queen! Tell us, when did you and Shikamaru got together?"

Temari glanced at the bottle of wine that stood in the middle of the table. It was opened and already poured into her glass. She didn't reach for it, the night was still young, but that didn't stop her mind from imagining how could the sour taste wash away the bitterness she felt at the tip of her tongue and deeper down, the bitter poison seeped into her lungs like a smoke.

Sakura's voice was enthusiastic and Hinata encouraged Ino even more. Temari was happy for her friend, well, for her and Shikamaru both, she really was. If she just had a drink of the wine, she would maybe believe these words more.

"It's such a sweet story, isn't it, Shikamaru? It happened not long after he and Temari broke up."

It wasn't wine that got her attention now. She glanced opposite of her where Shikamaru sat by the fire, his black hair tied in his trademark ponytail and his black clothes turning orange from the fire light. He was hunching, the stool he was sitting on was way too small for someone his height. Nevertheless, he looked up at her as if he could hear her calling to him and their eyes met, the coal meeting her darkened teal orbs. It was with a pity she stated to herself that she was right. The spark was no longer there, but the realization that his eyes were a reflection of her own was even worse. She knew that the same lost thoughts, the same emptiness and heaviness could be seen deep down behind her orbs and the dark circles under her eyes that were precisely covered by layers of make up.

And he stared at her too, because Temari knew he remembered those memories she wished to forget. She promised herself to bury them and move on, and she really did. Unfortunately, there were still moments of weakness - moments, when her head ventured automatically to those dusty corners of mind where past still continued living within her. The mornings she got to wake up next to him were the most beautiful moments in her life. She remembered the happy emotions of their morning routine - she'd turn on her side and got to see him sleepily looking at her. He always mumbled something incoherent and then pulled her into a hug. Then, they just shut the world out and slept, their limbs entwined and their minds silent. Those times were so naively simple, so short but so soft. 

"Yeah," he answered dully, his voice void of any ineterest, his eyes looking at Temari until the last word was said - until he shut the door behind what used to be, just like Temari did when she walked out the door less than a year ago, "it really is."

"Right? You remember how I said the last time we met that I was searching for a new apartment? Well, soon after that I rented a nice place with a beautiful view, but I couldn't find anyone who would help me with the paperwork and moving in. And then I remembered that Shikamaru's workplace wasn't far from there so I called him and asked for help. And the rest, you know, it just happened."

Temari laughed with the girls - mainly because she needed to pretend that this wasn't taking a toll on her emotional state, but she really was happy for her friends. Ino deserved this and even though Temari never imagined that she would find happiness in the hands of man that used to belong to her, she still accepted this. It would be alright, maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but by the end of their holidays, she would come to fully accept the reality.

"By the way," she could hear herself asking, "how far are you?"

"Oh, I'm just entering the third month. But enough about me. Sakura, how is your work at the hospital?"

Sakura chugged the wine in her glass, one would even say she did so faster than she could have because, well, wine is meant to be enjoyed, right? And was that still her first glass? "Honestly, it's been both great and terrible. I spend so much time there that I totally forget that my life does not consist of the hospital only. But sometimes I'm glad for it. There were times when I was ready to give up and never come back, but the longer I work there, the more I enjoy my job."

Temari would like to pretend that she missed the longing glance Sakura sent Sasuke's way and the flash of hurt on her face, but before she could say anything, Sakura was already pouring herself another drink and the conversation moved to Hinata.

"Me and Naruto are still the same," said Hinata. "I support Naruto in his political career and I honestly believe that he will become a president one day. People just love him. And we just bought a new house, so we're planning to invite you over soon!" She then showed the rest of girls photos of the kitchen and living room, as well as some of her dresses since she was trying to become a fashion designer. 

These few days were meant to make Temari happy. She should relax and just float like a cloud. But these people around her, they were changing so fast, so much. At one hand, she envied them. They had high goals and were working hard to reach them sooner than later. Then there was her and she... She was probably just a shell of what she used to be.

"And you, Temari, how are you doing?"

Caught daydreaming, Temari became a little self-conscious under all those awaiting stares. Time to put on her mask, just like Sakura and Hinata did, though they thought no one noticed.

"I... I've been good. Yeah. There's really not much to say." There really wasn't. But Ino was rather curious.

"Oh come on, how's your work for example? Still being the tough manager, right?"

Yeah, that. "Actually, I quit." Time to reach for the wine.

"No shit! Are your serious?" Sakura's squeaky voice was giving her a headache.

"Yes. It just, it didn't make me happy, you know." Nothing made her happy these days, but they didn't have to know that. "I decided to find a work that wasn't just about money. Something that I would actually enjoy. So I'm working as an editor at a publishing house. It's been great so far."

Then their conversation moved on. But the longer Temari observed her companion, the more she viewed her friends as just strangers with masks.

* * *

Their first night ended rather quickly. Everyone soon excused themselves as they were tired after the long journey. With nothing to do, Temari went to her room, took a bottle from the secret spot inside her closet that no one knew about and opened herself another wine. Taking a book, she sat on her bed and read until half of the wine was drank.

It was surely past midnight that she wished she could just lie and fall asleep like a normal functioning person would. Instead, she grabbed a pack of cigarettes along with her lighter and stepped out onto the balcony she shared with the room next to her. The freezing air hit her instantly, the wind ruffling her blond hair. Lighting a cigarette, she drew the smoke in, letting it linger in her lungs until she felt like she would suffocate. The stars were beautiful that night. When Temari was still just a little girl, she enjoyed the starry sky and often stared at it with her mom, then with her uncle, until she stared all alone. She always overcame whatever obstacle that met her in this life while believing that she would touch the sky one day. Today though, she felt the giant distance between her and the space far away get longer, get heavier. It was a long time since she felt so hopeless. 

She heard a door closing.

Shikamaru was standing not far from her, lighting a cigarette of his own. His dark hair, just the right opposite of her sandy blonde, was flying in the air. The image of her running her fingers through the strands flashed before her eyes before she motioned him to come stand next to her.

It was silent. Honestly, Temari was happy even for the silence. After what happened between them, she came to enjoy even the smallest interaction.

"So, a father, huh."

"Yeah, looks like it."

"You should really stop smoking then."

"So should you. When did you pick up the habit?"

Temari looked down at the cigarette between her fingers as she was leaning against the railing. Yeah, when did she start smoking? Probably the moment she left him standing in the middle of his apartment without looking back, tears running down her face. She vaguely remembered the emotional distress and the chaos in her head. She doesn't know when she bought her first pack, it just randomly found its way into her life as a mean of calming herself. The first brand she bought were Shikamaru's favorite cigarettes. Heavy and suffocating. The smoke used to envelop her in a bubble and she pretended his hands were around her once again. She smoked to remember him. After a little while, she pretended to smoke to pass time.

"Don't really remember."

"Hmm."

Temari wanted to steal a look of him. She wanted to bore his features into her mind again, not that she ever forgotten. He got skinnier and a bit taller. His hair grow longer. His eyes became darker. They both changed in the past months and Temari suddenly thought if it really wasn't time for her to move on completely - to start working less, to start dating again.

"So you're an editor now, I heard." 

Temari laughed. A quiet, bitter laugh. "You know me - me and my love for literature. It's tough sometimes, I'm not gonna lie. But there are more ups than downs, so it's worth it."

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, throwing the cigarette end into the distance, where it disappeared within the dakness and extinguished in snow, "I know you." He turned towards her then with an aura of seriousness. "And I know it's been weird between us. It's all so fucked up."

Temari couldn't describe it better herself. "It is, but I don't hate you for moving on nor am I angry at you or Ino. A little surprised, yes. But I'm gonna get over it. I always do."

A lot of unsaid words hanged between them. _I love you._ Don't hate me. _Break up with her._ Come back.

None of that was said. 

They weren't meant to be.

"Thank you."

He closed the door behind himself, leaving her alone.

The stars shone brightly as she finished her cigarette.

So she went inside and drank the wine, finished the book. In the morning, she concealed the dark cirlces under her eyes and pretended to have had a good sleep.

Sometimes, all you need to move on is knowing that the other one has already started a new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for giving my story a read! I hope you enjoyed it and it would be great if you left behind a comment so I could improve myself in future!


	3. Chapter 3

Temari guessed that since she was the host, it was her duty to prepare nice breakfast for her friends. So she went downstairs, but stopped on her way to the kitchen. There was a person lying on the couch in the middle of the living room. Upon closer inspection, she was surprised to find out that it was Naruto. There was a sting of worry in her chest as she was trying to understand why wasn't he sleeping next to his wife in their bedroom - Temari knew that the bed was big enough for two. She grew even more concerned when she realized he was covered by a light blue blanket, the one she bought and the one she'd put in their bedroom as a gift.

The naive voice in her head told her that it meant nothing, creating a stupid imagination of Naruto, way too drunk for his own good, who couldn't find a way to his bedroom so he crashed in the living room. On the contrary, the silent but more persistent voice told her that he was also just a stranger now. She knew, even though she didn't possess any supernatural powers, that there were now secret door inside his chest and she didn't own the key to unlock it. Just how much could he change in a year?

Breakfast was almost ready when Hinata came down the stairs. Temari noticed from the corner of her eye that she slowed down by the living room, not daring to do another step. When she finally entered the kitchen, Temari pretended not having seen anything.

"Good morning, Temari," Hinata greeted silently, "can I help you with something?"

"Morning to you too, Hina. Could you cut these, please?"

For a while they quietly worked next to each other, but Temari's curiousness got the worst of her. "Listen, did something happen with you and Naruto? I found him lying there when I came down. Is everything alright?" And from her reaction, it was immediately noticeable that something was terribly wrong. 

She remembered the moment she met Hinata clearly. It was the first day of her job as a manager at one of Tokyo's biggest companies. Walking into her new office, a slender girl with very light, even extravagant orbs and beautiful dark hair was waiting there for her, claiming to be her assistant. And Temari remembered being rude because that's who she is and she is always rude to new people. And Hinata? She stayed unfazed, meeting her harsh remarks with soft words. Temari soon realized that this shy but intelligent girl was able to smile her way through the most difficult of times, never letting any hardships stand in the way of her higher goals. To Temari, she was someone that would always have her back and she was grateful for that.

It's funny how destiny ties people together and gives them opportunities to create bonds that may last forever, because if it wasn't for Temari, Hinata would never meet her future husband. It was several years before that, back when Temari was studying at a university that she got a message from a stranger who would like to ask her a few questions about her studies and the school. Looking back, maybe she was stupid for trusting an unknown person and agreeing to meet up with him after only a few texts were exchanged, but Temari can now say that the pull she felt towards Naruto was a work of destiny too. He was a loud kid, and that combined with his bright yellow hair made him stand out even more. When she stepped into the café where they were scheduled to meet, she didn't have to search for him too long. To be honest, he was a bit of an idiot - way too naive, way too optimistic, a typical daydreamer. But talking to him made Temari happy. She may have been a little disappointed when he didn't choose to study management, instead deciding for political science, but since that fateful day of their meeting, they always made time for some coffee and talk.

Just like the day when it was raining heavily and Hinata didn't have her own umbrella, so Temari decided it would be best to wait til the storm passed and invited her to spend the evening with her Naruto. Since then, it was just a question of time when they would get married. Remembering this, it made Temari's heart swell with happiness. Hinata was a beautiful bride. Unfortunately, from that moment on, life didn't exactly go according to their expectations.

Stiffness didn't leave her limbs since the question was released into the space and hung there as if they were enveloped by vaccuum. But even then, Hinata faced her with a smile, although obviously fake, on her face and tried to dismiss any concerns. "Of course it is. He was just drunk yesterday and didn't find his way back from the bathroom, that's all."

The blue blanket covering Naruto spoke louder than any of Hinata's words. It told a story of a misunderstanding and unhappiness and Temari wondered just what happened to cause that Naruto decided to sleep in a separate bed. This probably meant that even the most ideal relationship hid its painful stains of pain and that was just... sad. That was just utterly sad.

Temari wondered if she could ever find the power to love and try and believe again. She wondered if she would ever be ready to take the risk of failing when her own wound was big enough to hide her in the darkness.

"Don't lie to me, Hinata. Say that you don't want to talk about it, say that it's none of my business but for god's sake, don't lie to me."

Hinata looked away with a sigh. "Sorry."

Temari loved her, so she would accept the apology even though she knew it wasn't sincere - even though she knew Hinata would try to lie to her again. Now, Temari just wondered how stupid she was. The emptiness, the loneliness, it was menat to disappear after this holiday. She was meant to laugh and spend time with her loyal friends. When did they turn into blank superficial sillhouettes? She felt sick.

"Is it because of the miscarriage? I know it was a long time ago but I believe you'll be pregnant soon if-"

The knife slipped out of Hinata's slender hand and flopped onto the countertop with a definite sound. Temari stopped in the middle of the sentence and shut her mouth. The moment of stillness accompanied by a heavy atmosphere was broken by the arrival of Sakura with Sasuke.

Even as they ate their breakfast, Temari didn't tear her eyes away from the married couple. She couldn't help them if they refused to talk about their problems and that made her frustrated because making sure everyone around her was happy, that was her only goal in this life. 

Just how many things had to go wrong until she could finally feel whole again?


	4. Chapter 4

Snowflakes falling from the sky like small pieces of cotton wool caught on her eyelashes and melted on her warm skin. The red scarf that was tigthly wrapped around her neck was becoming wet from her breath and while that was uncomfortable, it was better than letting her lips freeze in that chilly wind. Temari was sure her cheeks were bright red too and her baby hair was surely glued to her forehead by a mixture of sweat and melted water. Whose idea was this again? Right, hers. Let's have a walk, she said, it's gonna be fun, she said. Yeah, it would be a fantastically spent afternoon if they wouldn't have to make their way through literally masses of snow. And when a bundle of it found its way into her boot, sending chilliness through her body, she literally had to ask herself why had she not turned around yet?

She easily found an answer to that question when Sasuke slowed his pace and fell back next to her. Although Temari was tired of this exhausting walk already, she was glad for the opportunity to join another adventurous conversation that consisted of remembering, forgetting, promising, understanding and sometimes forced laughing.

"Sasuke, how is your business going?"

He offered her a small smile before answering. Temari remembered that the first few times she met him, she actually thought he was either shy or rude and wasn't really interested in spending time with her. She also vaguely remembered the desire to punch him. Now though, after knowing each other for many years and going through several hardships together, she knew that Sasuke wasn't one of those who showed affection or emotions generally, so even being gifted such a simple smile was enough to make her satisfied.

"This year's been great, actually. I've opened another hotel, this time near my hometown and it exceded all my expectations. I honestly never imagined being this successful."

"Stop being humble! From the moment you showed me your business plan, I just felt that it would be a success. You've worked hard to accomplish this all, you can be proud of yourself."

Sasuke snickered, softly bumping his fist with her upper arm. Temari pretended to have been hurt terribly, but it was just a pretense. She quickly grabbed a handful of snow and threw it right into his face, enjoying his shocked expression. But a moment later, as she was picked up and ruthlessly thrown into a pile of snow, she came to regret this decision greatly.

"You know, Sasuke, even though I don't work as a manager anymore, I can still help you with your business like I used to before... Well, before everything went shit this year." 

"I'm so happy to hear that. I've been waiting for you to be ready but some aspects of being a CEO are just so difficult. I came to realize just how helpful you were."

Temari got to know Sasuke through Naruto back in her university times. He was often talking about this frowning boring guy that was his best friend despite his bad attitude. One day, Naruto asked her if she was interested in meeting him, because, apparently, Sasuke wanted to start his own business but had no idea where to start and Temari was soon-to-be business graduate that could give him plenty of advice. So she agreed, but only later did she learnt who she was dealing with. The Uchihas used to have a grand business ownings not just in Japan, but also overseas. Unfortunately, one mistake ruined it all until they weren't known for their wealth, but for their bankrupcy. When Temari studied Sasuke's business plan, she immediately recognized the huge potential this young man had. Years later, it was just a question of time when he would become a millionaire. 

Even when Temari graduated and started working for a different company, she still used to work as Sasuke's right hand - always on the phone whenever he needed help with anything. And it made her proud because she was a part of something bigger - part of something that wouldn't exist without her. That's basically the story of how she created another strong bond with a stranger who managed to change her personality and view of life.

It all went downfall less than a year ago, right when her relationship fell apart, when her nights were spent in depressed tears and her workload became too much for her. She ran away - she turned off her phone and closed the curtains. Someone was constantly knocking on her door, but not once did she stand up to open them. 

Her sight fell on Sakura who was laughing happily next to Naruto. "Are things better now? With Sakura?"

He followed her gaze, his face blank like a sheet of paper, but the eyes that moved to look at Temari were full of _I don't know's_. "Maybe. Sometimes I come back home and everything is the way it should be, we are happy and content. On the other hand, there are times when I come home and I'm just so confused and ask myself what am I even doing here? I love her and I know she loves me too, it's just that my work, all that I've achieved even before I met her is important to me too. And I just refuse to let go of it so easily."

Temari grabbed his hand affectionately and squeezed it strongly. She understood, she really did, but she hated herself for not finding words good enough to console him. All she could say was: "I know, but sooner or later, you need to make a decision. It's destroying you both. Don't let it separate you."

Before he could answer, a snowball found its way to his face again and before Naruto could finish his laughing fit, Sasuke declared him a war. Temari instantly chose Sasuke's side and the battle could begin. And it was so much fun. She instantly felt ten years younger, ten times more alive. She loved this. Who would not? In such moments, people don't tend to overthink, to cry or to pretend. No, in such moments, as complex as they are, they tend to be content. And the silence in her mind, that was something she wished she could experience every single day. 

On their way back, she realized that whatever difficult times she was going through, the time spent with her friends would surely make her feel better - they were always there for her as she was there for them, and despite the fact that they all had their own secrets, their own parts of themselves that they refused to share with anyone, it would be fine. They would all find solutions to their problems, find a path out of this painful labyrinth. Probably not today, no, definitely not today, but surely one day, all would be the way it was destined to be.

Naruto was walking in front of her without any care in the world, so she took this chance to get revenge on him for the snow he put behind her jacket just a while ago. She jumped on his back, tackling him to the ground while laughing at his surprised and terrified shriek. 

"I haven't deserved that! You weight like a ton, you old cow." Naruto protested.

"What did you say? I'm no old cow, you prick!" Temari grabbed his head and shoved him straight into the snow, completing her revenge. She wouldn't let idiot Naruto make fun of her. He rose his hands in a sign of defeat, so she let him go. His dorky smile accompanied with red cheeks and face full of snowflakes told her that she wasn't mad at her at all - knowing him, he probably enjoyed friendly fights like these. But that dorky smile, that's one of the things that always saved her days - despite their often differing opinions and personalities, they were always there for each other, always ready to fight and protect. And Temari was glad to have someone like Naruto in her life.

"Naruto," she started when they started moving on, following others in their steps, "you know that I'm always there for you, right?" 

He looked at her naively, like a child, big blue eyes making her feel as if they were still university students. "Of course! You're always there for me to kick my ass!" This remark got him another shove coming his way, but he was prepared this time. "Just kidding, Temari. If I ever need anything, you're just a call away."

She was and she was glad Naruto was aware of it, but deep down she hoped that this prompting would make him talk about Hinata, about their marriage. About all the things they hid behind the walls of their house and behind those fake pretenses. 

But he didn't start talking and she didn't pry answers anymore.

So they moved on.

They always did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed it and it would be great if you left behind a comment so that I could improve myself in future!


End file.
